Monthly Archives: October 2007

Plenty of folks are telling conservatives what they ought to think about the Republican presidential field, but what do conservatives actually think about it? Human Events decided to poll its readers. 1,984 likely primary voters answered this question: »

In 1956 Screamin’ Jay Hawkins recorded “I Put A Spell On You” in a drunken stupor. According to the Allmusic profile of Hawkins, the song was to have been “a refined ballad.” The alcohol apparently provided the inspiration for the touches that turned the song into his biggest hit by far. Most of the touches that made the song a hit are preserved in the over the top performance captured »

Senators McCain, Graham, and Warner have now made it clear that they will not oppose Michael Mukasey’s confirmation. They state: We welcome your acknowledgement in yesterday’s letter that the interrogation technique known as waterboarding is ‘over the line’ and ‘repugnant,’ and we appreciate your recognition that Congress possesses the authority to ban interrogation techniques. . . .We share your revulsion at the use of waterboarding and welcome your commitment to »

During yesterday’s Democratic debate, Joe Biden said: “Rudy Giuliani — there’s only three things he mentions in a sentence, a verb and a noun and 9/11.” No one will ever accuse Biden of mentioning only three things in a sentence. »

Watching the Democratic presidential candidates on MSNBC last night, I found it truly alarming that one of them may well be the next president of the United States. To outward appearances, they seem to think that the most serious threat faced by the United States is the Bush administration. On this point there is no disagreement apparent among them. As Bertie Wooster used to say, what a crew! I have »

Several plaintiffs brought a class action against Clear Channel Communications for, in essence, monopolizing the market for putting on rock concerts. They sought to have the case certified as a class action on behalf of all purchasers of rock concert tickets — the group allegedly victimized by the lack of competition. One of the requirements for class certification is a showing that the class is so numerous that joinder of »

Tony Blankley gives forceful voice to the concern I expressed yesterday about efforts to read Mike Huckabee out of the conservative movement: I am not prepared to abandon our vigorous free trade policies or support a tax increase. I have yet to see a convincing argument against low taxes and free markets. But neither am I prepared to consign to beyond the pale my fellow conservatives who no longer see »

has a re-election ad up at NRO’s Corner. It blares: “Representing South Carolina’s Conservative Values.” I’m hoping that Graham won’t have to reconcile that already debatable claim with a vote against the confirmation of Michael Mukasey. »

The NEFA Foundation has published a pamphlet — The Muslim Brotherhood in the United States — summarizing the documentary evidence introduced by the government in the Holy Land Foundation prosecution. It is must reading. Here is the report’s summary of findings: The exhibits make four things clear: 1) Many of the existing organizations that have set themselves up as the interlocutors between the Islamic community in the United States and »

Watching the Democratic presidential candidates’ forum last night on MSNBC, I was struck by the lack of visible differences among the candidates. Except perhaps on the question whether the candidate had seen a UFO, the differences among the candidates were microscopic. Whatever the question, George Bush was the answer (in the sense that he was responsible for the problem reflected in the question). Dennis Kucinich — the candidate who distinguished »

I like and respect Mike Huckabee, but I don’t support him for president mainly because I think he’s not the candidate best able to lead the U.S. in the war on terror. Still, the shots being directed at Huckabee now that his popularity has increased seem unfair. Specifically, the suggestion that, except on social issues, Huckabee is a populist liberal in the Bill Clinton mode strikes me as far-fetched. The »

With the military situation in Iraq having taken what appears to be a signficant turn for the better, the Washington Post’s coverage of the war itself has tended to move to the back pages. Yet Iraq continues to make the Post’s front page. Today, for instance, the paper’s two lead stories both pertain to Iraq. At the very top is the Post’s umpteenth front page story about Blackwater. Underneath, we »

Last week in California, the wives of five presidential candidates participated in a forum where they discussed balancing family life with their husband’s presidential ambitions. The five women were Cindy McCain, Ann Romney, Jeri Thompson, Elizabeth Edwards, and Michelle Obama. Here’s the Washington Post’s account. The reporter seems disappointed that no one would fess up to being a dragon lady. Moderator Maria Shriver was too. I watched part of the »

The Dartmouth Alumni Magazine has an excellent story about Joe Malchow ’08, the music lover who keeps Power Line on song while running his own fine blog which has become indispensable for those of us who follow Dartmouth’s Byzantine politics. The piece is by Jake Tapper ’91, ABC News’s Senior Political Correspondent. Tapper has the reputation of being a genuinely unbiased reporter, and he lives up to that billing here. »

…that all of the Republican candidates run about the same against Hillary Clinton? Pollster Scott Rasmussen, via Jim Geraghty and Patrick Ruffini, notes the remarkable fact that in head-to-head polling against Ron Paul, Hillary is at 48%–pretty much where she is against any other Republican. Patrick sees Hillary’s inability to get over 50% even against as weak a candidate as Ron Paul as good news. It means that we are »